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The dress? Awesome! Now about that code ...

Prom fashion's a delicate dance between style, standards

By Melissa Hanson, mhanson@lowellsun.com

Updated:
05/09/2016 01:47:44 PM EDT

READY TO DANCE: "I always ask the girls when they come in if there's a dress code," said Athena Mirabello, co-owner of Athena's Boutique in Dracut. Among her prom dresses this year are, from right to left, a pale green Eleni Elias for $462, a coral Jovani "illusion" gown for $440 and a teal Morrell Maxie crossover for $483.
SUN / JULIA MALAKIE

As high school comes to a close, students descend on local country clubs, spruced up in glamorous gowns and slick tuxedos to dance the night away at the prom.

Like other fashion trends, the dresses change every year. This spring, the dress that shop owners say has been flying off the racks is the two-piece gown, a top and skirt that expose a sliver of midriff.

While some parents and school administrators say dresses have gotten increasingly risqué in recent years, for the students, promwear comes down to personal style and what they feel comfortable in.

For example: The two-piece dress. Athena Mirabello, owner of Athena's Boutique in Dracut, says the dresses are "tasteful," and only expose a thin bit of skin.

A white two-piece lace Morrell Maxie dress ($478) at Athena's Boutique. "As soon as I get the two-pieces, they're off the racks," said co-owner Athena Mirabello.
SUN / JULIA MALAKIE

The style mirrors a popular summer look of a crop top and high-waisted shorts or a skirt.

Despite cries from some that dresses are showing more skin, Mirabello said she thought dresses were more covered up this year. Another popular style was the "illusion dress," which has a layer of mesh in slits or cut-outs, to show a bit of skin beneath.

Brittany Fletcher, a senior at Tewksbury Memorial High School, said her royal blue gown has an open back, but is not form-fitting.

Like retailers, she said she's noticed that two-piece dresses are popular this year, as well as V-neck style cuts with mesh.

"Everybody is different. Everybody has their own style," she said.

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Both Fletcher and Mirabello said they think many teenagers just want to make a fashion statement with their prom dresses.

According to a flier on the school's website, the code last year asked that girls wear formal gowns or cocktail dresses. "Cut out dresses that show your stomach, bare hips, or reveal too much are not permitted," the flier read. It also asked boys to wear a suit or tux, banning hats or canes, and said that their formal dress shirt must "remain on for the entire evening."

At Fitchburg High, guidelines are more relaxed. The personal appearance policy in the student handbook says that students must dress in a manner that "conforms to reasonable standards of health, safety, and cleanliness that will not cause disruption of the educational process." The code adds that student, faculty and parent groups may recommend appropriate dress for special functions or prom.

However, prom dress codes have created controversy across the country as some parents and students say it supports a double standard of shaming young girls over their bodies.

Shelton High School in Connecticut came under fire last year when administrators banned six students' dresses from the prom for cutouts and open backs just days before prom. Hundreds of students signed a letter denouncing the policy and asking the school to reconsider, according to an article by the Hartford Courant.

Ashley Lyons, owner of Chic Boutique Consignment in Tyngsboro, said cut-outs were the big style last year, and are most of what she has in her shop now.

Those are the dresses that go first, Lyons said, even when girls come in with more "modest" parents.

A black-and-gold Jovani "illusion" gown for $460. SUN / JULIA MALAKIE

"I think it's good for the girls to express themselves," Lyons said. "This is their prom at the end of the day."

At Temptations Bridal & Tux in Leominster, manager Kimberly LeBlanc said fit and flare-style dresses are a big sell this season, and dresses with long slits up the front.

"Parents don't really seem to mind too much," she said.

Tuxedos haven't evolved the way dresses have, though the powder blue suit of the 1980s is no longer a hot trend for prom night. But smaller details have given boys a chance to customize their look.

At Athena's Boutique, Mirabello's business partner, Bruce Parziale, does the measuring for tuxedos.

"The trend in tuxedos is definitely bow ties," Mirabello said. There's also a new slim-fit tux, she said, that has been a big sell with the boys who have a thin figure or an athletic body type.

A navy-colored tux and metallic bow ties and vests are also new this year, Mirabello said, and many of the boys decided to go for it.

Tyngsboro High School senior Olivia Desilets said her prom dress is black with embroidery beading and a slit up the leg. She describes the slit as "not too high."

Despite critiques of dresses with cut-outs, she thinks girls should wear what they like.

"I feel like people want to just express themselves and just want to look their best," she said. "People should be able to wear what they want and what they're comfortable in."

Desilets said finding a unique prom dress reflects the phase of self-discovery that is often associated with teenage years.

"In high school, that's when you're discovering who you are and you should be able to try new things," she said. "I feel like this goes hand-in-hand."

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